Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education

HONG KONG DIPLOMA OF SECONDARY EDUCATION

EXAMINATION

MATHEMATICS

Compulsory Part

SCHOOL-BASED ASSESSMENT

Sample Assessment Task

Figurate Numbers

Instructions

1.This task consists of THREEparts, Part A to Part C. Students are required to attempt ALL parts.

2.Numerical answers should be exact or correct to 3 significant figures.

3.All working must be clearly shown.

Teacher Guidelines

1.This task requires students to

(a)understand the pattern of figurate numbers ;

(b)discover and induce the general term of figurate numbers;

(c)find the sum of figurate numbers.

2.It is anticipated that in general students can complete the task in 1 hour. However, teachers can exercise their professional judgment to adjust the time allowed to cater for the ability level of their students.

3.Teachers may feel free to modify the question and the marking guidelines to cater for the ability level of their students.

4.Feedback should be provided to students after marking the task.For instance, teachers can discuss different approaches of handling each part of the task with students.

Part A

1.Write down the number of dot(s)ineach of the following figures.

1stterm, T(1) / 2ndterm, T(2) / 3rdterm, T(3) / 4thterm, T(4)
Number of dots = ______/ Number of dots
= ______/ Number of dots
= ______/ Number of dots
= ______

The above numbers form a sequence of hexagonal numbers.

2.Write down the number of dots in the 10th term, T(10), of the hexagonal numbers.

3.Express the number of dots in the nth term, T(n), of the hexagonal numbers in terms of n.

Part B

Students of the Mathematics Club of Sun Sun Secondary Schoolare going to celebrate the 110th school anniversary. They plan to make a model of a dreamacademic building for the school.

The model of thedream building consists of 110 levels. Each level is hexagonal in shape, like the oneas shown in Part A. A dot represents a sphere with a diameter of 1.2cm. The top five levels are constructed in the shape of the 1st term, T(1), in Part A, the following five levels are in the shape of the 2nd term, T(2), and then the following five levels are in the shape of the 3rd term, T(3), and so on until the completion of the whole model.

1.Find the height of the model of the building.

2.If the bottom level of the model is in the shape of the nth term in Part A, find the value of n.

3.The 86th level of the model is constructed with k spheres. Find the value of k.

4.Find the total number of spheres used in the model.

[Hint: You may use the following formula:

]

Part C

Tom is a Mathematics enthusiastinSunSunSecondary School. He is thinking about another way to make the model.

With the basic conditions unchanged (i.e. the model of the building consists of 110 levels; each level is hexagonal in shape anda dot represents a sphere with a diameter of 1.2cm), the top five levels are constructed in the shape of the 1st term T(1),in Part A, the following six levels are in the shape of the 2nd term T(2), and then the following seven levels are in the shape of the 3rd termT(3), and so on until the completion of the whole model.

1.If the bottom level of the model is the nth term in Part A, find the value of n.

2.(a)If the number of levels constructed in the shape of the kth term T(k) is m, express min term of k.

(b)Find the total number of spheres in the m levels in 2(a). Give your answer in terms of k.

3.Tom believes that the total number of spheres required to make the model in Part C is more than the onerequired to make the model in Part B. Do you agree? Explain your answer.

[Hint: You may use the following formula:

]

END OF ASSESSMENT TASK

Figurate Numbers